Morro Bay, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Morro Bay: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use San Luis Obispo County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
15 of 920 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How San Luis Obispo County compares with California
San Luis Obispo County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where San Luis Obispo County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | San Luis Obispo County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 28.4 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 14% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 9% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 1.6% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.3% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 63% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.7% | 23.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.0% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 23% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.1% | 40.2% | 41.9% | 10% below the state |
| After dark | 24.9% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Compared with California, San Luis Obispo County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
San Luis Obispo County at a glance: 0.3% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Overview
Police reported 920 crashes involving commercial trucks in San Luis Obispo County since 2015: 371 people were injured and 30 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 5 days.
Only 8 truck crashes were reported in Morro Bay since 2015; patterns below come from San Luis Obispo County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (10.4% of the year) and are lowest in January (5.1%).
November through March accounts for 36.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (7.4%).
Road surface: 0.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Morro Bay happened on Morro Bay Blvd (1) and SR-193 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
15 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.6% share (California: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Morro Bay fleets
- Build extra time into September routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in San Luis Obispo County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Morro Bay Blvd | 1 |
| SR-193 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (San Luis Obispo County) |
|---|---|
| US-101 | 15 |
| SR-1 | 8 |
| SR-46E | 5 |
| Rt101/Wellsona Rd | 4 |
| SR-41 | 3 |
| Rt46/4220Ft W Lucy Brown Rd | 3 |
| Rt166/4M E Alamo Creek Rd | 3 |
| Creston Rd | 2 |
Morro Bay at a glance
| Population | 10,591 |
| Land area | 5.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,984 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in San Luis Obispo County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | — | — | 3.2 |
| 2000s | 56 | — | 2.6 |
| 2010s | 72 | +28% | 2.6 |
| 2020s | 80 | +12% | 2.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 56 a year in the 2000s and 80 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 3.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Morro Bay
How common are truck crashes in Morro Bay?
920 truck crashes have been reported in San Luis Obispo County since 2015, with 30 deaths and 371 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Morro Bay?
The worst month is September: 10.4% of truck crashes in San Luis Obispo County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Morro Bay?
Since 2015, San Luis Obispo County has reported 15 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.6% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Morro Bay compared with California?
The yearly rate is 28.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in San Luis Obispo County, vs 33.2 for California.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Morro Bay?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.